In The Rubble He Lay
by MoggieFish
Summary: The screams had ceased and the fires raged no more, the sky began to cloud, as the heavens opened, pouring water down from its sky. And in Berlin's city rubble laid a man and his friend, who even at the end, had never left his side. Please read and review x


Mein Gott everything hurt. There was so much pain, and darkness. It was, for lack of a better word, frightening. I was alone, that much was certain. The only sounds in the dead city were the deafening screams of citizens, slowly dying. I wanted so badly to shudder and cower away from the sounds, but I couldn't. I wasn't a coward, not like _him_. _HE_ did this to my country, he brought this horror down on us, and then he abandoned us, and hid away. The sky was beginning to darken, and if I was lucky, no one would find me. I didn't _want_ anyone to find me. I was the monster that women will be telling their children for years to come; I am the horror that lurks deep within people. If I were to stay here undetected, maybe it would never happen again in the future.

I was alone in this world, not only abandoned by my leader, but that leader who had sentenced around 6 million of my soldiers to death and had murdered 6 million others who were deemed unfit for the new regime, were set to haunt me for the rest of my years. Even my own Bruder was gone; I had cast him out as though he were nothing to me, as though _he_ was the monster. I thought myself to be strong and independent, yet how could I be when I was blindly following orders? Even my friend, my only friend, left. I didn't want the weak country to get hurt; I'd never forgive myself if he did. He meant everything to me. I drove him away to keep himself, to keep _myself_ safe, I had trained the weak man in the hopes of that if I were never there, than at least he could defend himself. I miss him, if I could have one wish before I die, then it would be to see his smiling face again. Mein Gott I miss him.

The pain felt as though it would never subdue, as though the pain and the scars would haunt me forever, being that I survived this ordeal. My body screamed in pain as I shifted to sit in an upright position, I was weak, and I didn't deserve to live. _Mein Gott_, I thought as I crumpled back down flat on my back, I was pathetic. Before this ordeal I'd be up on my feet even with severe injuries like this. But I couldn't, not now. Everything had changed.

I almost smiled when I heard my name being yelled over the roaring of house fires, and the screaming of civilians. The voice sounded so much like Italia, so much so that it hurt. I laughed bitterly, wheezing. As if Italia would want to come back to me, I am nothing. He was everything. I listened again, the voice getting stronger as it drew closer.

"Germany!"

There was a loud sob and a crash, as I felt the ground shift as a body sank to its knees. I wanted so badly to move my head and look at whom it was, who had come back for me, who still believed in me.

Suddenly there was a hand pawing at my hair, brushing it away from my face, slicking it back. The hand then traced over my face, drawing back when it accidentally swiped over various cuts and bruises.

"Ve~ G-Germany I should of never left you" came the sob

I allowed myself to smile, it was Italia. He really had come back. A thought struck me, what if this was a hallucination? What if I was so numbed by pain that I was imaging the thing I wanted to see the most? Regardless, I decided to play along, better to have some nice memories before I die, even if they were fake,

"Italia, you came back"

"Si Germany, Big brother France explained to me what you were doing. I know I'm not the smartest of countries. I know I am not the strongest or… b-but what you did for me, sending me away so I'd be safe, grazie Germany."

Italy brushed his hands across my face, pausing looking at me directly,

"Oh Ludwig, what have they done to you?"  
"You came back, that's all that matters to me. Even if you aren't really here at least my mind is allowing me to see you one last time"

Feliciano grabbed my shoulders, either ignoring my wince of pain, or was completely oblivious to it, and shook me roughly,

"Do you feel that? I am real, what you are feeling is real and if you leave me I will hate you forever!"

"You left me" I spluttered out, opening my eyes and looking at him, his auburn hair rustling in the slow wind, his own uniform looked as ripped and ruined as my own.

The smaller country swore in his native language, "No, you told me to leave, I didn't want to, but my advisors agreed with you. We had to leave. But I'm here now Ludwig"

Italy pulled away slightly, "The others" he started, wiping tears away from his eyes, "they told me to leave you, that you were a lost hope. But I couldn't Ludwig, you're my friend. I had to find you. To make sure you were safe."

Italy looked down at me, his eyes giving away his thoughts; he knew I was gone, and that there was no hope in saving what I was. Yet there was hope there, that this time when I recover from my battle wounds, I'd remember him, not like before, not when I was the Holy Roman Empire, when I left him, forgot him.

Italy grasped onto my hand, glancing at the blackening sky,

"Go to sleep Ludwig" he said softly, "Go to sleep and the pain will stop."

A strained smile was set on his face as he continued, "When you wake up Ludwig all of this will be gone, everything will be back to normal"

The grip on my hand strengthened some, "I'll stay with you until you fall asleep my Bello German."

I smiled at him, straining as I lifted my other hand to run down his cheek, "Danke mein Italienisch, for being there for me" 

_The screams had ceased and the fires raged no more, the sky began to cloud, as the heavens opened, pouring water down from its sky. And in Berlin's city rubble laid a man and his friend, who even at the end, had never left his side. _


End file.
